It is another sunny, summer Saturday here in Los Angeles, California. I texted a friend to see if he wanted to watch the Kings game later. Much to my dismay I received back, “Can’t. Cleaning out the garage.” So sad. 

And it is totally unnecessary. There is no need to spend a weekend cleaning out a garage, year after year. This dismal doom can be mostly avoided by taking control of your garage. Here are five ways to show your garage who is boss. 

1. Keep Your Cars in Your Garage

This is a piece of advice that is so obvious it sounds counterintuitive. One of the best ways to keep your garage clean and organized is to use your garage for your cars. You can’t fill a garage with junk when your car is in the way. Right?

Right.

Not to mention storing your car in a garage spares your car’s paint job a pounding from the weather and will lower your car insurance premiums. 

2. Hang Your Tools on a Peg Board 

When of your dining room chairs has a loose screw that is threatening to collapse the entire chair. You say to yourself, Hey, I can fix that! I just need to grab a screwdriver from the garage! Two hours later you’ve located four stuffed animals, a pair of pliers, some loose bolts, and a hammer. But no screwdriver.

There is an easy and cool solution. Hang your tools on the wall. You can either arrange your tools on a peg board, a rack, or specialized hangers. This also gives you an excuse to bring that work bench you’ve always wanted. What else compliments a showroom of tools better than a work bench? 

When you are finished organizing your tools grab a couple of empty coffee tins and start organizing your screws, nails, bolts, nuts, etc. One coffee tin for screws, one coffee tin for nails, and so on. Depending on the type of Do-It-Yourself jobs you do you may want to get even more granular — a coffee can for wood screws and another coffee can for machine screws. 

You can also use store bought organizers to store fasteners and screws, but I tend to like coffee cans. There is something deeply nostalgic about fishing a screw out of an repurpose Folger’s tin.

3. Install Shelving 

There are a ton of shelving solutions that are aimed squarely at getting your boxes off the floor. You can buy free standing shelving or shelves that screws (or bolts) directly to the wall. You can even find garage shelving that is designed to hang down from your garage’s rafters (this is an ideal way to store infrequently used stuff like ladders.

Another way you can get boxes off the floor is to install quarter inch plywood boards running across the rafters of your garage. This can serve as an “garage attic” where you can store seasonal items like Christmas decorations.

If you’ve made an effort to carefully install shelving do yourself another favor and buy some sealable plastic boxes. Plastic boxes will last a lot longer (possibly forever) than cardboard boxes and do a better job of protecting the stuff you are trying to store. 

4. Label Everything

Either buy a label maker or a couple rolls of masking tape and a marker. Now label everything. Even if you know what is in a box today, label it. Why? This will prevent you from the, “Well I know the Christmas decorations are in THERE!” syndrome. Labeling keeps you from guessing and prevents you from making a mess when you guess wrong. 

If you want to get really serious, after packing a box for storage, write out an inventory list of what’s in the box (1 Xmas wreaths, 4 boxes Christmas bulbs). This technique is particularly effective if you have multiple boxes filled with similar items (.i.e. Christmas decorations).

5. Don’t Store Used Chemicals

Paint, household cleaners, and automotive fluids are all considered household hazardous waste and you can’t put them in your normal curbside side trash. So many people store used chemicals in their garage. This is a bad idea on multiple levels of bad.

Firstly, an excess number of poorly store chemicals creates a fire hazard that can damage or destroy your home. Secondly, chemicals laying around your garage pose a hazard to small kids and pets. Instead of storing household hazardous chemicals drop them off at a city approved drop off center. Or call a hauling service like Green Clean Junk Removal Services to haul away old paints, cleaners, etc.

Getting control over your garage takes a little time, a little effort, and a lot of planning. But the results can be amazing. You not only reduce clutter but you turn your garage into another show piece inside your home. 

1. Organization Starts with A Vacant Apartment

When you rent your first apartment you’ve got an awesome opportunity. You’re starting your post-collegiate adult life largely clutter free. Your first apartment is a blank slate (mostly) that you can fill or not fill with stuff. So when you are shopping for furniture for that new apartment, remember less is usually more.  

Also take the time to buy organizing solutions like racks, holders, and drawer organizers. Life is a lot easier if you start off organized.

2. Start Recycling

Most modern apartments have some sort of recycling program, either a separate dumpster for recyclables or individual blue bins for recyclables. Most of the time you don’t have to sort your recyclables, just separate them from your regular trash. If your apartment building doesn’t have a recycling program, talk to your building management about setting one up. 

3. Buy Only What You Need (Or Things You REALLY want)

When I moved into my first apartment I was extremely dedicated to the idea of keeping a fully stocked bar at all times. As part of my effort to keep a bar to rival Don Draper I had every bar glass ever made, including the ones bars don’t use anymore (sour glasses anyone?). And you know how many of those glasses got used? Four. Maybe eight on a big day. This taught me something:

Buy the things you only need, or the drew things you really really want. When you are shopping ask yourself, “Do I need this? Do I want this? Will I use this? What am I willing to throw out to replace this?” If you don’t need something, don’t buy it.

4. Know when to Hold ‘Em

We live in a disposable culture, especially when it comes to clothes. A shirt gets ripped at the seam our first instinct is to throw it out and buy five new shirts to replace it. You can save money in the long run and keep your wardrobe under control by mending and properly cleaning clothes. 

5. Know When to Throw ‘Em

While you can have your clothes mended, fixed, and even rewoven there are certain things in your life that just aren’t worth saving. No, you aren’t going to fix that toaster and know you aren’t going to fix that lamp. Instead the broken stuff you insist your going someday is just going to pile up in a closet. So know when to part ways with your beloved toaster and just buy a new one.

6. Love Your Boyfriend, Not His Toaster

Continuing on with the toaster metaphor … At some point you’re going to meet someone, and fall in love, and they’ll want to move into your apartment because its a lot bigger than theirs. And the day after that special someone moves in you’ll discover your kitchen populated with two of everything. Your toaster, his / her toaster, his/ her dishes and your dishes, his / her silverware and your silverware, etc. 

Your first exercise as a couple should be to pair down those possessions into one of everything. Consider it your first relationship challenge!

7. Establish Cleaning Habits Early

Cleaning is about routine. Don’t clean when things are beyond livable. Instead establish a cleaning schedule. Clean your bathroom(s) on a certain day. Clean your kitchen on another day. Appointment yet another day as a time for cleaning your kitchen and vacuuming your living room. If you live by a schedule your life gets easier, simpler, and cleaner.

8. Get Rid of Bulky Items the Right Way

Sooner or later you will add buying a major appliance, like a refrigerator, to your list of first. And the reason will most likely be that your old refrigerator finally died on you. When this time comes make sure your dispose of bulky items properly. No, hauling a television or refrigerator to the curb isn’t proper disposal. Call your city’s sanitation department or a private hauling service to have your bulky item haul away.

9. Be Careful with Chemicals

Chemicals like paints and certain types of household cleaners are considered hazardous materials. So practice judicious use of these chemicals. Instead of using harsh, chemical cleaners, for instance, use a biodegradable cleaner. If you paint your apartment make sure you dispose of leftover paints appropriately. You can typically dispose of paint at a designated drop off center.

10. Don’t Get Sloppy

It is easy to get sloppy or messy. Six months into your new job and you’re sleep deprived and under-appreciated. You toss your clothes on the floor, you leave your dishes soaking in the sink, you don’t vacuum when you are supposed to vacuum. Don’t get sloppy. Stick to your routine.

These ten tips only scratch the surface of how to organize and keep your apartment (or, in the future, home) clean and junk free. If you want to read some more helpful hints or tips about organizing, cleaning, and hauling away junk and garbage click here.